The
construction was proving to be quite a challenge and I had to enlist the help
from a pair of pliers to basically peel one side off from the other. This is one
seriously well made bait and I was really impressed by how thick and durable
both the finish and the actual plastic housing was.

Finally pliers had to be enlisted
to peel apart the plastic exterior from the rattle

When I was finally able to separate the two halves
we finally got our first look at the holographic foil which was actually not
just a film but placed on a second housing sealed within the bait to create the
perfect amount of flash directly beneath the lure's translucent outer shell from
all angles.

Our first look at the interior
foil flash layer

Inside we also found a lead weight positioned at
the bottom, this is what helps give the bait a forward angled stance in the
water and also helps the bait run true. Rapala says that each and every one of
these baits is "Hand-Tuned & Tank Tested" to swim perfectly right out of the
box, and judging by the attention to detail we were seeing in this bait's
construction we believe it.

At the bottom of the bait is a
lead insert

After breaking down the bait further we were
finally able to extract the very heart of this lure, the rattle system. The
rattle is housed within a metal cylinder and gives the bait a unique, and quite
loud, clicking sound.

A closer look at the rattle system

This distinctive rattle system is the same one
that is employed on Rapala's lipless Clackin Rap and Clackin Minnow Jerkbait.
Housed within this robust cylinder is one rattle system that will not fail, and
we were very impressed by how well the entire system is integrated into the
lure.

The Rapala Clackin' Crank has a
lot going on and is extremely well constructed

The Clackin' Crank put up a huge fight when we
tried to crack it open, a real testament to just how well built this lure is.
The thick plastic exterior and bulletproof rattle system have stood up well in
field tests thus far, but after this autopsy we are totally sold on just how
durable this squarebill really is. It is nice to see a bait that is designed and
built with unique elements and though the Rapala Clackin' Crank is built with
plenty of features yet is still reasonably priced at $10.99 each. Rapala offers
the Clackin' Crank in a wide range of patterns, all of which feature varying
degrees of translucence in order to promote flash in the water thanks to the
lure's second foil layer housed safely underneath the bait's exterior.